[August 4, 1918]

1. All Provincial and district Soviets, all Committees of the Poor, all trade organizations of workers are charged, jointly with local organs of the People's Commissariats of Food and Agriculture, to immediately proceed with the organization of harvest and harvest-requisition detachments, to utilize for the purposes of harvesting the new crop the detachments of workers and peasants from starving provinces sent for the requisition of grain, and to immediately proceed with the organization of new detachments for these purposes from the local peasants and workers.

2. The task of the said detachments consists in: 1) the harvesting of winter crops from the fields of former landlord estates, 2) the harvesting of grain in territories near the front, 3) the harvesting of grain from the fields of notorious kulaks and wealthy men, 4) assisting in the timely harvesting of all grain generally and the delivery of all surpluses to state warehouses.

3. All grain collected by harvest and harvest-requisition detachments shall be distributed on the following basis: in the first instance, to set aside unconditionally the necessary quantity for satisfying the food needs of the poorest strata of the local rural population. This portion of grain is not subject to immediate and unconditional delivery to storage points. The distribution of this grain is carried out by Provincial Food Committees according to the instructions of the Food Commissariat.

Members of harvest and harvest-requisition detachments, if they are not remunerated on the basis of previously issued decrees (such, for example, as the decree on the preservation for volunteer workers going to the Front and to food detachments of their positions and average wages), shall be remunerated, first, with provisions in kind, second, with monetary remuneration determined according to local conditions, and third, with a special bonus for successful and rapid completion of work on harvesting and delivery of grain. The size of remuneration and bonuses is established by Provincial Food Committees on the basis of instructions from the Food Commissariat.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars:
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1174:5
Decree No. 1.